Playoff Picture: Field Hockey (Sept. 24)

Big games in all three divisions dot the schedule this week, but no day will be bigger on the field hockey scheduled than Friday.

In each division, there's a handful of games that could have big playoff implications as the season gets down to its final weeks.

Two of the top teams in Division II faceoff on Friday, with Derryfield hosting Plymouth, while Goffstown hosts Merrimack Valley in another matchup that will affect the postseason.

Division III will see four of the top teams go at it, as Lebanon goes to Newfound and Bishop Brady battles Hopkinton.

And in Division I, Windham, the current top seed, squares off with surging Manchester Central, while Bishop Guertin hosts Merrimack and Keene travels to Concord.

Here’s a look at where teams in all three divisions stand as the tournament season creeps closer. These standings and brackets are available to Sports Insider Members only; you can signup for a membership by clicking the button below.

Note: For field hockey, Division I and II will have 11 teams, while Division III will have 14 teams. Standings based off results reported to NHIAA.org and other media outlets. These are not official pairings.

Division I

Playoff field (record, rating)

1. Windham (7-1, 3.5000)
2. Pinkerton (6-1, 3.4286)
3. Merrimack (6-2, 3.0000)
4. Winnacunnet (5-2, 2.8571)
5. Londonderry (6-3, 2.6667)
6. Timberlane (5-3, 2.5000)
7. Keene (5-3, 2.5000)
8. Concord (5-3-1, 2.4444)
9. Dover (5-3-1, 2.4444)
10. Manchester Central (4-3, 2.2857)
11. Bishop Guertin (4-4, 2.0000)

Outside: Exeter (2-4-1, 1.4286); Salem (2-6-1, 1.1111); Manchester Memorial (2-6, 1.0000); Nashua South (1-7, 0.5000); Bedford (0-5, 0.0000); Nashua North (0-9, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• Timberlane wins the tiebreaker with Keene thanks to a head-to-head victory.
• Concord wins the tiebreaker with Dover thanks to a head-to-head victory.

Rising: Winnacunnet jumped from 10th to fourth with wins over Bedford and Bishop Guertin last week. The Warriors host Timberlane on Monday.

Falling: Keene dropped three games last week to go from the No. 2 seed down to seventh. The Blackbirds travel to Manchester Central, which has won four in a row, and Concord this week.

First-round byes

1. Windham
2. Pinkerton
3. Merrimack
4. Winnacunnet
5. Londonderry

First-round matchups

• No. 9 Dover at No. 8 Concord
• No. 11 Bishop Guertin at No. 6 Timberlane
• No. 10 Manchester Central at No. 7 Keene

Division II

Playoff field (record, rating)

1. Kennett (8-0, 4.0000)
2. Hanover (7-0-1, 3.7500)
3. Plymouth (8-1, 3.5556)
4. Pelham (6-1, 3.4286)
5. Derryfield (7-1-1, 3.3333)
6. Souhegan (6-1-1, 3.2500)
7. Goffstown (4-3-1, 2.2500)
8. Kingswood (5-4, 2.2222)
9. Sanborn (4-4, 2.0000)
10. Bow (3-5, 1.5000)
11. Pembroke (3-5, 1.5000)

Outside: Merrimack Valley (2-6, 1.0000); John Stark (2-6, 1.0000); Portsmouth (1-7, 0.5000); Milford (1-7, 0.5000); Oyster River (0-7, 0.0000); Hollis Brookline (0-7, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• Bow wins the tiebreaker with Pembroke thanks to a head-to-head victory.

Rising: Goffstown picked up two wins last week to move up from ninth to seventh. The Grizzlies have to travel to Kingswood and host Merrimack Valley this week.

Falling: Derryfield went 0-1-1 last week to drop from the top seed down to fifth. The Cougars face Plymouth on Friday.

First-round byes

1. Kennett
2. Hanover
3. Plymouth
4. Pelham
5. Derryfield

First-round matchups

• No. 9 Sanborn at No. 8 Kingswood
• No. 10 Bow at No. 7 Goffstown
• No. 11 Pembroke at No. 6 Souhegan

Division III

Playoff field (record, rating)

1. Bishop Brady (6-0, 4.0000)
2. Mascoma Valley (8-1, 3.5556)
3. Hopkinton (7-1, 3.5000)
4. Newfound (7-1, 3.5000)
5. Lebanon (5-2, 2.8571)
6. Kearsarge (5-3, 2.5000)
7. Gilford (5-3, 2.5000)
8. Winnisquam (4-3, 2.2857)
9. Newport (3-3, 2.0000)
10. Conant (4-4, 2.0000)
11. Stevens (3-3, 2.0000)
12. St. Thomas (3-3-1, 2.0000)
13. Berlin (3-3-1, 2.0000)
14. ConVal (2-4-1, 1.4286)

Outside: Mascenic (2-4, 1.3333); Littelton (2-5, 1.1429); White Mountains (1-6-1, 0.7500); Monadnock (0-7, 0.0000); Laconia (0-8, 0.0000); Franklin (0-8, 0.0000).

Tiebreakers

• Hopkinton wins the tiebreaker with Newfound thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Kearsarge wins the tiebreaker with Gilford thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Newport wins the five-way tiebreaker with Conant, Stevens, St. Thomas and Berlin thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Conant wins the four-way tiebreaker with Stevens, St. Thomas and Berlin thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• Stevens wins the three-way tiebreaker with St. Thomas and Berlin thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.
• St. Thomas wins the tiebreaker with Berlin thanks to a better rating against tournament teams.

Rising: Mascoma Valley picked up three wins last week, including handing Newfound its first loss to move up to the No. 2 seed.

Falling: Lebanon dropped two games last week, its first losses of the season, to fall from the No. 1 seed to fifth.

First-round byes

1. Bishop Brady
2. Mascoma Valley

First-round matchups

• No. 9 Newport at No. 8 Winnisquam
• No. 12 St. Thomas at No. 5 Lebanon
• No. 13 Berlin at No. 4 Newfound
• No. 10 Conant at No. 7 Gilford
• No. 14 ConVal at No. 3 Hopkinton
• No. 11 Stevens at No. 6 Kearsarge